Ask Linda #468-Ball found in hazard: Play original or provisional?

Dear Linda,

Whilst playing in our society competition recently the following situation arose. One of the lads played his second shot, which pulled to the left and entered some rough ground close to a ditch. Feeling that the ball might be lost, he declared he was going to play a provisional ball, which he duly did. When we got to the area of the first shot, he found his ball and it was in a playable position. However, it had crossed the margin marked by red stakes and was therefore lying in a hazard. I ventured a ruling that his first ball was 'dead' and his provisional ball was now the ball in play. He accepted this gracefully and played out the hole with the second ball. After the game, one of the other members of our four ball, (a grumpy old man), decided to stir things up with the rest of the society by claiming I had given an incorrect ruling. After much discussion many were of the opinion that I was wrong. Did I call it right or was I telling fibs?

Thanking you in anticipation,

Kind regards,

Lou

Dear Lou,

Your ruling was incorrect, Lou. Here’s why:

A player is permitted to hit a provisional ball for a ball that may be lost outside a water hazard [Rule 27-2a]. The player in your scenario did precisely that.

The player is required to abandon the provisional and continue play with the original if he finds it. Your player found his ball. The correct procedure would have been to continue play with the ball found in the hazard [Rule 27-2c].

I suspect your confusion may stem from another related Rule. If the player in your scenario had been virtually certain that his ball was in the hazard, and he played another ball from the tee (under 26-1a), this would now be his ball in play. When he found his ball in the hazard, even though it was playable, he would not be permitted to continue play with that ball. It is no longer his ball in play [Decision 26-1/3.5].

A provisional ball must be abandoned when the original is found; a second ball played for a ball that is known to be in a water hazard is your ball in play, regardless of where or whether the original is found.

Linda

Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #467-Relief from dirt adjacent to cart path

Hello Linda:

My ball came to rest just off the left side of an asphalt cart path in the dirt portion (that had been dug out by people driving off the asphalt path).  Is my ball considered to be on the cart path?  Do I get relief?

My match play opponent gave me relief, but I want to know what the correct ruling would be.

Thanks for your time and help.

Lou Lou.

Dear Lou Lou,

The cart path is a man-made surface that meets the definition of immovable obstruction. The dirt alongside the cart path where the grass has been worn away by cart traffic is neither artificial nor an obstruction. Unless the actual cart path interferes with your stance or the area of your intended swing, you are not entitled to relief when your ball lies on the dirt. The penalty in stroke play would be two strokes.

Match play takes a different view. You did not proceed incorrectly in your match. You and your opponent did not agree to waive a Rule, since neither of you were aware that you were not entitled to relief. If the discussion between the two of you had gone something like this: “I don’t think I’m entitled to relief from the dirt.” “I don’t think so either, but it’s OK with me if you move your ball,” then there would have been agreement to waive a Rule and you would both be disqualified [Rule 1-3].  Since neither of you was aware of the Rule, and your opponent gallantly allowed you to take relief, your procedure was correct.

You may be interested to learn that, in match play, if a player notices his opponent violating a Rule, he may quietly choose to ignore that violation.

Linda

Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #466a-Sand used for tee

Hi Linda,

I noticed your explanation [Ask Linda #466-Altering tees] and had one more question for you to clarify. Laura Davies, I believe it was, made a Tee from a pile of sand on the tee box. This must also be legal. Am I right?

Lulu

Dear Lulu,

Laura Davies bangs her club in the ground to raise a small chunk of turf. She places her ball on top and drives it into outer space. I love that she does this; I think it’s the coolest tee in the golf universe.

Placing your ball on top of a small mound of sand is also a legal tee. What could be more golf-friendly than using the materials that the course provides and honoring the practices of the past?

Linda

Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #466-Altering tees

Linda, can you modify your tees so that they only go into the ground a certain length so that you are always teeing off from the same height?

Lou

Dear Lou,

Yes.

The only restrictions on tees are that they may not be longer than four inches, may not be designed to show you the line of play, and may not be constructed in such a way as to influence the movement of the ball or assist you in making your stroke.

You may whittle down your tee to any length 4 inches or less, and you may add a stopper to limit how far you can push your tee into the ground. There are several tees on the market designed to give you consistent height off the ground (e.g., brush tees), but there is no reason why you can’t get creative and build your own.

Linda

Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #464a-Tee shot knocks ball off tee

Linda, can a player play his second shot from the tee box where it lies, without a tee?

Lou

Dear Lou,

Yes. You always have the option to play the ball as it lies. The stroke that toppled the ball off the tee is stroke #1. The next shot will be your second.

Don’t confuse this with a ball that is accidentally knocked off a tee when a player is setting up to hit or the ball is moved during a practice swing. There is no penalty for either of these actions on the teeing ground. Your ball is not “in play” until you make a stroke at it. A swing is not a stroke unless the player intends to hit the ball [Definition of Stroke].

While we’re on the topic of tee shots, another reader misunderstood the use of the term “teeing ground.” The teeing ground is the rectangular area defined by the tee markers plus two club-lengths behind them. It is not the entire area set aside for placement of the tee markers. When you hit your tee shot, it must be played from within the teeing ground.

It is absolutely essential to read and study the Definitions if you ever hope to understand and learn the Rules of Golf.

Linda

Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #465- What’s the score?

Hi Linda,

Could you help me with this ruling that happened to my friend?

On a par 3 a player plays her ball into a dry water hazard.

The player finds what she thinks is her ball.  

She takes a few practice swings in the hazard touching some long grass and in the process she moves the ball.  

She lifts the ball and replaces it and plays it on to the green.

On the green she realizes this is not her ball.  

She goes back to the hazard and finds her original ball and plays it on to the green and has 2 putts.  What is her score?

Thanks

Lulu

Dear Lulu,

The player’s score is 6:

• Tee shot – stroke #1.

• No penalty for touching the long grass with practice swings in the hazard, as long as she did not touch the ground and did not improve her lie or the area of her intended swing.

• No penalty for moving a ball in the hazard that was not her ball in play (Rule 18-2).

• Strokes made while playing the wrong ball do not count, so the shot she played to the green with the wrong ball is not added to her score.

• The penalty for playing a wrong ball is two strokes – stroke total is now 3.

• Return to the hazard and play original ball onto the green – stroke #4.

• Add two putts, for a total of 6 strokes.

In match play, the player would have simply lost the hole.

The score would be different if the player had touched the ground in the hazard with one of her practice swings. That violation would result in an additional two-stroke penalty [Rule 13-4b], giving her a score of 8 on the hole.

Linda

Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #464-Tee shot unplayable on tee

Linda, can you help me with this problem? If a player hits his ball from the tee and it only goes a few inches, can he then declare his ball unplayable and tee it back up and go 3 off the tee, or does he have to play it has it lies as he has put the ball in play?

Regards,

Lulu 

Dear Lulu,

A player may declare his ball unplayable anywhere on the golf course (except in a water hazard). If the player tops his tee shot, he is entitled to re-tee and try again. The second tee shot will indeed be his third shot on the hole.

Keep in mind that one of the relief options for an unplayable ball is to hit from where the original ball was last played [Rule 28a]. Since the original was played from the teeing ground and was teed, the next shot may be placed on a tee and may be played anywhere on the teeing ground – it does not have to be re-teed in the same exact place [Rule 20-5a].

Linda

Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #463-Post regular or T-score?

Linda, our WGA (Women’s Golf Association) meets on Thursdays for play day. Our competitions include low gross, Pick A Partner, 2 Best Ball of 3, Even Holes 1/2 of handicap plus other games. My question is since these are organized competitions by our play day directors, should they be entered as tournament scores? We have Club Championship, President's Club, and ACES, which recognizes a winner for each month on a play day. Those three are entered as tournament scores. I have read the handicap manual and it states regular play days should not be recorded as tournament scores. Definition of a play day would be: 

a.  players go out on any given day and play a friendly round, or

b. organized play by play day committee. 

Thanks,

Lulu

Dear Lulu,

It is up to the Committee to decide whether a competition should be posted as a T-score (tournament score). T-scores are generally reserved for significant annual events, such as the Club Championship. Routine league play rounds, such as the competitions you mentioned (low gross, pick a partner, etc.), are not normally designated as T-scores.

Linda

Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #462-Player objects to ball marker

Dear Linda,

I was recently in a club golf tournament and one of the ladies questioned my ball marker. I used a magnetic one that clips onto the hat and it has a smooth face. She requested that I use a flat push-pin marker. I offered to move my marker one club head but she wanted me to use a flat one instead. I borrowed a flat one from another lady. Does she have the right to make this request?

Thank you!

Lulu from Southern California

Dear Lulu,

The Rules suggest that a ball be marked by a ball marker, a small coin, or something similar. You may also mark a ball with the toe of your club, a tee, or a loose impediment, although these methods are not recommended [Decision 30-1/16].

You used an acceptable marker. If another player finds your marker distracting, she may ask that you move it one or more club-lengths to the side, and you are obliged to honor that request.

There is no Rule that prohibits another player from asking you to use a different marker; nor is there a Rule that requires you to honor such a strange request.

Linda

Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #461-Practice swing moves ball

Hello Linda,

My ball came to rest on some bare hard ground on a slope next to the green. While taking a practice swing, I made contact with the ground and my ball moved.

I did not make contact with my ball, but the contact with the ground and the shock it caused was the main factor that the ball moved.  What is the ruling?

Kind regards,

Lou

Dear Lou,

If the player causes his ball to move, there is a one-stroke penalty and the ball must be replaced [Rule 18-2a]. If he fails to replace the ball before he hits it, the penalty is two strokes.

It seems clear, from your description, that you were responsible for moving your ball, so you’re out of luck in the “adding a penalty stroke” department.

What you should take away from this experience is that while you want to take your practice swing in a similar lie, make sure you are far enough away so as not to risk moving your ball.

Linda

Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #460a-Hitting ball on cart path

Linda,

Do you feel that hitting it off the cart path is really an option for a weekend amateur golfer?  Have you ever hit a ball off of the cart path?

For a professional golfer with a club manufacturer sponsor, sure, go ahead and play it off of the path.  But for someone like me, I am not going scratch up my club that is part of an iron set that cost me $600+ ... it is just not a reasonable option.

Your thoughts?

Lou from New Jersey

Lou, I have hit off the cart path on several occasions, both in tournaments and in casual play. If the cart path is preferable to the relief option, I am willing to choose the cart path. 

If you're worried about your clubs, I have two suggestions (assuming you prefer to play under the Rules):

1. Hit the ball off the cart path with your putter.

2. Declare your ball unplayable, and proceed under one of the relief options for an unplayable ball (Rule 28). This will add one penalty stroke to your score.

Linda

Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #460-Cart path relief: Which side?

Hi Linda,

If my ball lands on the cart path, can I drop the ball on either side of the cart path? Or do I have to drop on the closest side to relief?

Thanks,

Lou

Dear Lou,

You must drop on the side that provides the nearest point of relief. The only time you have a choice is when the distance to the nearest point of relief is the same on both sides of the cart path. In most cases, the nearest point of relief for a right-handed player will be on the left side of the path.

Don’t forget to assess your relief option before you lift your ball – if the nearest point of relief turns out to be in an unfavorable lie (fescue, sticker bushes, deep rough, etc.), you may prefer to hit the ball as it lies on the path.

I addressed this question in detail in 2010. I am reprinting that column below for you.

Linda

Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Ask Linda #238-Cart path relief-right side or left?

Dear Linda: 

(First, thank you for such a delightful, and informative web site)

A golf colleague and I (both of whom read your advice regularly) still have a difference of opinion regarding a ball that lies along the extreme right side of a cart path in the direction of the hole. As a result, I provided the attached drawing to him to argue my point that the left side of the cart path will most often provide the nearest point of relief. As the Chief Justice of Golf Rule Interpretation, can you kindly tell me if there are any errors in the drawing (although I have not taken the time to laboriously draw it to scale)? Many thanks in advance,

Lou Lou

Dear Lou Lou,

You are, of course, talking about a right-handed golfer in this question. (Lefties, just reverse everything–I'm guessing you're used to that.)

Generally, the left-hand side of the cart path will provide the nearest point of relief for a right-handed golfer. However, if the cart path is exceptionally wide, the nearest relief may turn out to be on the right side. If it is not obvious which side will provide the nearest relief, you should establish the nearest point of relief on both sides of the path, measure from where the ball lies on the cart path to each nearest point, and then choose the side where your relief point is closest to the ball.

For a ball lying between the left side of the path and the middle, you can bypass the two-sided measuring procedure. The nearest point of relief for such a ball will always be on the left side for a right-handed player.

Don't forget that "nearest point of relief" means exactly that. If the ground to the right side of the cart path is fairway, and the ground to the left is covered in fescue, and your nearest relief is on the left side, then you must drop in the fescue. This is why I always advise readers to assess their relief options before lifting their ball – the best shot you have may be to hit the ball right off the cart path.

Linda

Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #459-Green cleaning issues

Linda,

Am I allowed to repair ball marks, remove loose impediments, sand or soil on the putting green if my ball is lying on the fringe?

Thank you.

Lou

Dear Lou,

Yes.

Linda

Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #458-Where is NPR?

Linda, we had a situation today & were wondering if you could help us.

My friend would have had to stand on the drain to hit her ball. We know she is allowed nearest point of relief & 1 club length. How do you determine nearest point of relief & from what spot is the 1 club length measured - feet or ground where club head rests?

Thanks, Lulu

Dear Lulu,

The first two points to consider in seeking relief from the drain is that you

must find the nearest point of relief and that point must be no closer to the hole.

If you take your normal stance, and one of your feet will be on the drain, the nearest relief for a right-handed player will be on the left side of the drain (the reverse is true for a left-handed player). I am going to walk you through the relief procedure for a right-handed player.

1. Select the club you would use to hit your next shot if the drain weren’t there.

2. Making certain you are not moving closer to the hole, stand on the left side of the drain, take the first available stance where you have no interference from the drain, ground your club, and place a tee by the head of your club.

3. For this next step, you may now use any club in your bag. Lay the club on the ground, putting one end at the tee and the other end no closer to the hole. Place a tee at the other end of your club, and put your club back in the bag to get it out of the way.

4. In your mind, picture the segment of a circle that would be made if you held the grip end of your club at the first tee and dragged the head of the club on the ground from the second tee to a point directly behind the first tee. This circle segment is the area in which the ball must hit the ground when you drop it.

5. The ball is not required to stay within that circle segment after you drop it. As long is it doesn’t roll: (a) closer to the hole, (b) more than two club-lengths from where it hit the ground, (c) into (or out of) a hazard, (d) onto a putting green, (e) out of bounds, or (f) into a position where you still have interference from the drain, the drop is good.

Decision 25-1b/2 provides excellent diagrams illustrating how to find the nearest point of relief for both right-handed and left-handed players. The Decisions book is available online. Go to usga.org. Put your cursor on Rules (top left) and click on Rules and Decisions. To find this particular Decision, click on Rule 25 on the left-hand side. On the right, under Decisions, scroll down to 25-1b/2 and click on it. Voila!

Linda

Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #457-Hit provisional or original?

Hi Linda,

A player hits a ball off the tee and it is suspected of being out of bounds. The golfer then hits a provisonal ball that is in the middle of the fairway. The golfers approach the first ball and find it resting on the out-of-bound stake on the golf course side of the stake. The golfer said that he wanted to play the first ball. One playing partner agreed with the golfer and two partners said he had to play the provisonal.

Question: Does the golfer play the first ball or does the golfer play the provisonal ball?

This happened at my golf course recently and between the foursome we had considerable discussion as to which ball is in play.

Can you clarify this for us?

Lou

Dear Lou,

A player may hit a provisional ball when he suspects his ball may be lost or out of bounds. If the original ball is found, and it is not out of bounds, the player must abandon the provisional ball and continue play with the original ball [Rule 27-2c]. End of discussion.

If the player in your scenario continued play with the provisional ball, even though his original was found and was not out of bounds, his stroke at the provisional ball would count as a stroke at a wrong ball. In match play, he would lose the hole. In stroke play, he would incur a two-stroke penalty for hitting a wrong ball and would have to complete play of the hole with his original ball [Decision 27-2c/3].

Linda

Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #456-Required to use drop area?

Linda, I recently had a disagreement with a fellow golfer regarding the red and yellow stakes surrounding an island-type green. The disagreement involves yellow stakes that define the margin of the hazard on the front side of the green and red stakes that define the margin on the hazard on the rear side of the green. There is roughly 10 feet of rough/fringe grass surrounding the green. There also is a drop area on the right side of the fairway across the water from the front side of the green.

My queston is--I overshot the green right over the pin and feel that I should be entitled to drop under the red stake relief rules, which are: re-tee, drop within two club lengths from the spot where the ball last crossed the hazard no closer to the pin, or go across the water on the other side of the red-staked water and drop within two club lengths no closer to the hole. Am I supposed to use the drop area when it is clear that I entered the hazard with the red stakes? Thanks for your prompt response to this query!

Lou 

Dear Lou,

Unless there is a sign or a notice on the scorecard declaring use of the Dropping Zone to be mandatory (very unlikely in the scenario you describe, and rare in general), the use of a drop area is optional. Such areas are normally provided as an additional relief option, not a required one.

Your ball entered the hazard where it is marked with red stakes, which means that this section of the hazard is designated as a lateral hazard. You have four relief options under the Rules:

1. Hit a ball from where you hit your original ball. In your case, this would be from the tee. You may tee the ball.

2. Drop a ball behind the hazard on the line that starts at the hole and passes through the spot where your ball last crossed the margin of the hazard. I call this the line-of-sight to the hole. You may drop anywhere on this line, as far back as you wish.

The above two relief options are available for any water hazard. The following two are only available if your ball is in a lateral (red-staked) hazard.

3. Drop a ball within two club-lengths of where your ball last crossed the margin of the hazard, no closer to the hole.

4. Drop a ball on the opposite side of the hazard, within two club-lengths and not nearer the hole of a point that is equidistant from the hole. (It is possible that such a point may not exist for a hazard directly behind a green that is marked as a lateral hazard.)

If a drop area (officially called a “Dropping Zone”) is provided, you have the option of using it. In the situation you describe, using the drop area would not seem to be your best choice.

Linda

Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #455-Is a ball retriever a club?

Linda, is it true that a ball retriever in the bag is considered a 15th club?  Thanks, Lulu

Dear Lulu,

No, a ball retriever is not a golf club. A club must have a shaft, a head, and a grip [Appendix II]. You may carry a ball retriever in addition to your 14 clubs.

Linda

Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.